Second man arrested after slurry spread before Ballymena Pride
A 20-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an incident in which slurry was spread along part of the route of a Co Antrim town's first Pride parade.
He was arrested this morning on suspicion of criminal damage, aiding and abetting criminal damage and causing material to be deposited on a road.
The man remains in custody at this time.
The PSNI said in a statement that the matter is being treated as a hate crime and enquiries are ongoing.
Yesterday, a 19-year-old man was charged in connection with the incident.
He was charged with criminal damage, possession of a blade and causing material to be deposited on a road.
The PSNI appealed for anyone with information to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 191 of 28/06/25.
A report can also be made on the PSNI's website or by contacting Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.
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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Man, 19, bailed over charges of spraying manure on road before Ballymena Pride parade
A 19-year-old man told police he sprayed hen manure over the streets of Ballymena as an 'act of protest' against the town's first Pride parade, a court has heard. Isaac Adams, of Lislaban Road, Cloughmills, appeared before Coleraine Magistrates Court on Monday charged with a number of offences following Saturday's incident. The court was told that the 'prank' has backfired on the farm worker, after he was caught 'red-handed' by police wearing a balaclava and carrying two empty 25-litre jugs, which had contained manure, in the early hours of Saturday morning. He indicated that he was foolish and stupid to get involved in this prank, as he describes it, but it obviously backfired on him He has been charged with criminal damage, possessing a lock knife and causing manure to be deposited on the road. The court heard that Adams admitted filling four or five drums of hen litter waste from his farm and pouring it over the road to disrupt the Pride parade taking place on Saturday afternoon. A number of references were handed into court, including 'six of his elders' from his local church, who said it was 'very much out of character'. Constable Coyle confirmed to the court that on Saturday, June 28, at approximately 2.45am, police were patrolling in the town centre of Ballymena when they came across the defendant. He was found wearing a balaclava, carrying two empty 25-litre jugs, which he stated had contained manure. The defendant admitted he'd been spreading the manure over the surrounding roads in order to disrupt the Ballymena Pride parade, which was set to take place later that same day. The defendant was searched, and a lock knife was found in his pocket. He was arrested for criminal damage and possession of a bladed article. Whilst under caution, the defendant freely admitted that he had committed the act in protest against the upcoming parade later that day. It wasn't a slurry tanker as such that was driving up the streets of Ballymena. These was some small canisters with hen manure in them He admitted to spreading the waste manure in the town and told police he was not the only person involved. Adams admitted to wearing the balaclava to conceal his identity, and he confirmed the manure was a hen litter waste. He said he had filled four or five drums of waste from his own farm, and he described it as a prank. Police opposed bail but said that the defendant does not have any criminal record, that the event has now passed and that a co-accused, who was arrested on Saturday, has been bailed until November. Solicitor for the accused, Stewart Ballentine, told the court that Adams co-operated fully with police and made admissions. 'He indicated that he was foolish and stupid to get involved in this prank, as he describes it, but it obviously backfired on him,' Mr Ballentine said. Ms Coyle agreed that the accused showed remorse and described it as a prank. The accused is a maintenance engineer and works on the family farm and had been wearing work trousers at the time of the incident, which contained the lock knife. 'He's a man who has never been in trouble in life before,' Mr Ballentine added. £788.39 The cost to the local authority to clean up the mess 'He is in full-time employment. 'It wasn't a slurry tanker as such that was driving up the streets of Ballymena. These were some small canisters with hen manure in them. 'As far as the parade on Saturday was concerned, that was not in any way inconvenienced, and all persons who wished to attend were able to do so.' Photographs of the manure were handed into court. The court was told that it cost the local authority £788.39 to clean up the mess. Mr Ballentine added: 'His mother and father are concerned about this matter. They're both in the body of the court. 'I hand in a reference from his employer. He speaks highly of this young man, and also handed in references from six of his elders at his local church, who also say this is very much out of character. 'This man has never been arrested in his life before. He's had an experience of being detained in custody all over the weekend, and this is totally new to this young man, and hopefully, he will never be back. 'He comes from a very law-abiding stock, a family stock in the North Antrim area, and he's a hard-working young man, and really should have been at other, more productive things than this prank, which badly went wrong. 'He greatly assisted the police investigation, and one of the other parties has been arrested. 'I wonder what the evidence may or may not be in relation to that matter. But my client was the only man who was actually caught red-handed, so to speak, and he made full admissions right from the outset. 'He was pretty much caught in the headlights of the police vehicle and made full admissions and certainly he has learned, very sadly, lessons from his experiences over the last few days.' The court heard that the incident was organised over messages and phone calls. Adams was granted bail under a number of conditions, including that he reside at an address at Lislaban Road in Cloughmills, not to enter Ballymena, not possess a phone capable of internet access, and remain under curfew between 11pm and 5am. Adams was warned that breaching his bail conditions would not be considered a prank. A 20-year-old man who was also arrested in connection with the incident has been released on police bail and is due to appear in court in November.
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Man sprayed gallons of hen manure on road before Ballymena Pride parade as part of a ‘prank,' court hears
A 19-year-old man told police he sprayed hen manure over the streets of Ballymena as an 'act of protest' against the town's first Pride parade, a court has heard.
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Bail for man accused of spreading manure on road before Ballymena Pride Parade
A Co Antrim teenager spread gallons of manure on a road before Ballymena's first Pride Parade as part 'of a prank,' a court heard. Coleraine Magistrates Court also heard that Isaac Adams (19) 'made full and frank admissions' to police when he was arrested. Mr Adams was 'literally caught in the headlights of the police vehicle' when committing the offence, defence solicitor Stewart Ballentine told the court. In court on Monday, Mr Adams, from Lislaban Road in Cloughmills, confirmed his identity and that he understood the three charges against him, all alleged to have been committed on Jun 28th. READ MORE He was charged with causing criminal damage to Granville Drive in Ballymena, causing chicken manure to be deposited on the road and possessing a bladed article, namely a lock knife. A police statement said Mr Adams was arrested following reports of slurry being spread on the road at about 2.55am. 'The matter is being treated as a hate crime,' the PSNI statement said. During Mr Adams's brief court appearance, a PSNI officer gave evidence that she believed she could connect the teenager to each of the offences. She outlined how police on patrol happened upon a male, wearing a balaclava and carrying 'two empty 25 litre jugs.' 'He admitted that he had been spreading the manure over the roads to disrupt the Pride Parade,' the officer told the court, adding that the lock knife was found in his pocket when Mr Adams was searched. Mr Adams, the court heard, 'freely admitted' that he intended to disrupt that Pride Parade due to be held later that day and during formal police interviews, the teenager told police 'he was not the only person involved.' The farmer told police he had filled four or five, five gallon jugs with 'hen litter waste' from his family farm 'and described it as a prank.' Regarding issues of bail, the officer said Mr Adams has no criminal record. District Judge Peter King heard the clean-up operation cost £788. Freeing Mr Adams on his own bail of £500 and adjourning the case to July 24th, the judge imposed several conditions. A 20-year-old man who was also arrested in connection with the incident has been released on police bail and is due to appear in court in November.
